Lost's Damon Lindelof May Write The Alien Prequel For Ridley Scott

Damon Lindelof was pretty much already living the geek dream, having created and executive produced Lost for six successful seasons and contributed as a writer on Star Trek, which almost definitely meant he got to sit in Kirk's chair and set a phaser to stun once or twice. How could he possibly earn the envy of even more nerds? There was pretty much only one more option, and he's pulled it off: he's writing a new Alien movie.

Well, probably. According to Deadline Hollywood Lindelof has met with Ridley Scott to discuss ideas for the forthcoming Alien prequel, which Scott plans to direct, but the script he comes up with could either work for the movie or become its own freestanding sci-fi adventure. I don't really understand how that works either-- aren't facehugger aliens kind of an all-or-nothing thing?-- but apparently they'll decide once Lindelof turns in the script whether or not they'll use it for Alien or set him free.

That seems like an awfully cavalier way to treat a script by a much in-demand writer, especially one who, as my wonderfully enraged and nerdy friend Jordan Hoffman pointed out in his hilarious rant, should be working on Star Trek 2 instead. Best case scenario we get two sci-fi films written by the prodigiously talented Lindelof (who is collaborating on Trek 2 with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who it should be noted, also never seem to turn down a job). Worst case scenario? Lindelof writes the script, they turn it down and opt for something stupider, and Trek 2 gets delayed further.